


Dormroom Doubts

by ImaginationCubed



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Orion: Shklance Zine, Roommates, Sharing a Bed, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-07 00:10:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18399164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImaginationCubed/pseuds/ImaginationCubed
Summary: College was difficult. Constant worry about grades, deadlines, and social obligations abound.Somehow, it all got more difficult once he realized he had feelings for not one, but both of his best friends.





	Dormroom Doubts

**Author's Note:**

> This was featured in the [Orion: Shklance zine](https://shklancezine.tumblr.com/) already, but the mods gave us the okay to post publicly, so I thought I'd put it up here. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I enjoyed participating in the zine.

The rapping of knuckles echoed throughout the area, just barely strong enough to cut through the noise of the television committed to continuously playing reruns of mediocre shows. Shiro let it sound again. Three roommates shared the apartment with him. Someone would answer the door if he didn’t. He leaned his head back against the stiff couch cushions, closing his eyes briefly before focusing his gaze back on the textbook demanding his attention. 

The same knock sounded again.

“Can you get the door, Shiro?” Keith called from the hallway, “I’m getting in the shower.”

Shiro turned to face his towel-clad roommate. “Are you expecting someone?” 

“No, but the only people coming around this late are either the RA or Lance.” Keith answered as he opened the gray shower room door. 

“What about James and Ryan? Did they invite anyone over?” Shiro leaned the side of his head onto the couch as he spoke.

Keith closed the door behind him. “No, they went to Nadia’s for a project. I’d say they’re lying, but I don’t think James is going to drink a drop of alcohol until he’s twenty-one.”

The sound of water thundered through the pipes as Shiro rose to his feet, defeatedly placing a post-it between the pages of his book before he tossed it onto the empty chair by the television. He stepped toward the door, glancing into the peep hole to reveal a familiar face. Swinging the door open, he was met with a Lance that seemed as if he had been more than ready for bed a few hours ago. 

Lance pulled the hood of his pokémon onesie off his head. “Can I crash with you and Keith tonight? Everyone is being super annoying, and I pulled an all-nighter last night. I need my beauty sleep.”

“Yeah, sure. I don’t have an issue with it.” Shiro stepped to the side, inviting Lance in. “What was the all-nighter for?”

“Organic Chemistry.” Lance said dejectedly as he stepped through the doorway, “Sometimes I wonder why I ever decided to be a science major.”

“Cheer up. I’m sure you did fine on the exam.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re like, insanely smart. I study my ass off and still barely manage a C.”

Shiro placed a comforting hand on Lance’s shoulder. “Believe in yourself a little, alright?”

“I’ll try, I guess.” Lance peeked into Shiro and Keith’s shared room. “Where’s Keith?”

“Showering. But you can sit on his bed until he comes back.” Shiro pushed the door open further. “I’m just going to get my textbook. I have a history test monday.”

“Sounds good.”

Shiro gathered his study materials from the living room and returned to Lance. He plopped down onto his mattress and watched Lance made a home on Keith’s bed. “How’s life besides Orgo?”

“Same ol’, same ol’. Iverson totally has it out for me though. I’m giving him A level work, and he only gives me B’s!” Lance rested his pencil on his worksheet.

“I’m pretty sure he has it out for everyone. That class was Keith’s only C.”

“Are we talking about Iverson?” Keith closed the door behind him. “He’s the reason I wasn’t on dean’s list last semester.”

Lance fell back onto the rest of Keith’s rigid mattress. “At least we’re all on the same page.”

“So, am I ever getting my bed back?” Keith reached into his wooden dresser and accompanied his plaid boxers with an oversized tank top. Pulling it over his head, he stepped towards his side of the room. “Well?”

“Hm, I don’t know Keith. Aren’t you supposed to be taking  _ off _ your clothes when you try to get into bed with someone? Not putting more on?” Lance teased.

“Oh fuck you.” Keith retorted, “Are you getting up or not?”

Lance sprawled himself out further on the bed. “Mmmm, no.” 

“Okay then.” Keith plopped himself down onto Lance, settling himself securely on Lance’s exposed side. “Suit yourself.”

“Oh my God, Keith! Get off me!” Lance cried, attempting to squirm out from underneath his friend.

“No. You had your chance.” Keith crossed his arms. “You’re part of the bed now.”

Lance reached out for the closest object he could weaponize. Wrapping his fingers around Keith’s pillow, he smacked his friend with it repeatedly. “Get! Off! Me!”

“Then get off my bed.” Keith moved his arms to block the mock attack.

“Shiro, help me! Keith’s trying to trap me here!” Lance continued to batter Keith with his own pillow.

“Is this the Lance-Keith war that every historian predicted?” Shiro rose from his bed. “Guess I have to pick a side. What a tragedy.”

“Shiro, please!” Lance begged, “Keith’s trying to kill me!”

“Well, we’re about to make this a three-way war.” Shiro reached his arms around Keith, hoisting him over his shoulder in one quick movement, eliciting a surprised yelp from Keith.

Keith flailed. “Put me down!”

“Not a chance.” Shiro kept his grip on Keith. “Get him Lance!”

Lance sprung up, grabbing Keith’s legs and pulling him out of Shiro’s hold and onto the ground with a thud.

“I hate both of you.” Keith declared, resigning to his two friends’ sneak attacks on him. Pulling Lance’s arms around his waist, he leaned into his friend’s chest.

Lance rested his chin atop Keith’s head. “Come and stay a while Shiro.” 

Shiro lowered himself to the floor, settling himself on the plush rug between his and Keith’s respective beds. He reached behind himself and retrieved his textbook, popping it open to the bookmarked page from earlier.

Lance pressed his nose into Keith’s hair. “Your hair smells nice, Keith. You gotta give me the name of your shampoo.” 

“You say that as if it’s just a casual conversation starter.” Keith tilted his head up to look at Lance.

“What?” Lance threaded his fingers through Keith’s bangs. “It’s a true statement. Maybe if Shiro hadn’t decided he was going to  _ ignore us _ for a boring textbook then I’d have something more interesting to talk about.”

Shiro let out a fake sigh and placed his textbook on the desk chair in reach. “If I fail, I get to tell my professor it’s your fault then.”

“I’ll gladly take the blame, ‘cause I know you’re going to pass.” Lance motioned for Shiro to join him and Keith on the other side of the room.

Shiro scooted closer to his friends. “At least someone has faith in me.”

“Oh shut it, Mr. Four-Point-O.” Keith hit Shiro playfully on the arm.

Casually resting an arm on Lance’s shoulders. Shiro pulled the duo closer, “Fine, fine. So, why have I been summoned?”

“Am I not allowed to want attention from my best friends?” Lance brought his hand over his chest in mock hurt. “I didn’t know my existence was so inconvenient.” 

Keith maneuvered himself slightly, falling back into Shiro’s lap and dragging Lance with him. “Stop it.” Keith’s fingers ran through Lance’s hair, absentmindedly humming as his skin brushed through soft strands. “If we didn’t want you here we would’ve kicked you out.”

Shiro rubbed Lance’s back. “Is there anyway we can make it up to you?”

“Hmmm.” Lance drug out the answer, “How ‘bout a movie?”

Shiro reached behind him, pulling out Keith’s laptop from the black side pouch strapped to his bed. “Can we use your laptop, Keith?”

“Mhm.” Keith intertwined his legs with Lance’s.

Shiro placed the laptop in front of the group. “Password.”

Keith untangled his fingers from Lance’s hair before leaning over and unlocking the device. Starting up a new window in his browser he shifted the laptop back over to Shiro.

“Any preferences?” Shiro asked.

Lance settled in closer to Keith. “Nope.” 

Shiro selected a movie, clicking past ads and waiting for the initial buffer to end before maneuvering himself into a more comfortable position.

The blue light radiating from the laptop illuminated the trio’s figures as the film continued on screen. It was some half thought out faux disaster film where Los Angeles was destroyed and only the main cast lived. Time and time again, the same type of movie was swallowed, regurgitated, and spat out into something slightly different. Yet, here they were, giving the movie slivers of their attention anyway. Though, it wasn’t as if any of them paid for the film either. A lost view didn’t really impact any of them negatively.

The female protagonist on screen kissed her very obvious male love interest. The same man who was by no doubt created for that purpose from the beginning. The plot point had been laid out in front of them since the moment Shiro clicked play. No surprise, no twist, just cold hard predictability.

It was an odd thought, to consider that every character created was put together based around what the author needed. There was no spontaneity, no sudden unplanned experiences, and only what the author had already planned. Life was different. Life wasn’t on a script. There was no promise of how things would go, and there was no guarantee of who any of them would end up with in the grand scheme of things.

But, if Shiro had the opportunity to be the author of his own story, there was no doubt the people he’d want to end up with were the two sharing the room with him.

“Do you guys ever feel like you’re not good enough for someone?” Lance’s eyes were directed at the small screen ahead of them, but somehow seemed as if he was staring through it vacantly instead. “Like, you desperately want to be, but you just can’t no matter what you do? And sometimes, you think maybe you should say something to figure out how you can be worth their time, but you keep reminding yourself that, if you had a shot, they probably would’ve noticed you by now?”

Shiro carded his fingers through Lance’s messy hair. “If you mean that you think they deserve better than you can ever give them, then yes.”

“Can we not talk about this?” Keith raised a hand to his face, pushing his bangs back.

Shiro moved his gaze to Keith. “Is something wrong?”

“I just don’t want to think about relationships right now.” Keith returned his eyes to the movie.

“Oh?” Lance smirked, taking Keith’s face into his hands. “Does Keithy have a crush on someone?”

Keith broke away from Lance’s playful hold. “Stop it.”

“Damn, okay. I was just trying to be friendly about it.” Lance rolled off of Keith and onto the cold dorm floor. “You didn’t have to get all moody. You could’ve just said no.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t…” Keith’s voice trailed off, “It’s not like that…”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Shiro offered.

Purple eyes flicked up to the ceiling wordlessly, elongating the silence before Keith released a breath. “Only if it doesn’t leave here, ever.”

“I’m the master secret keeper. Your secret might as well be under lock n’ key with me.” Lance promised.

Shiro added, “My lips are sealed.”

Keith let out a sigh, “It’s not a crush, it’s… it’s past that.” He moved his eyes back towards the ceiling. “I don’t know what it is anymore, but it hasn’t been a crush for a long time.”

Shiro bit at his bottom lip before speaking, “Sounds like you’re in love.”

“I don’t want to be.” Keith leaned his head back off of Shiro’s thigh.

Lance turned onto his side. “Why not?”

“I like two people.” Keith answered.

Lance sat up. “So, you don’t want to choose.”

“I shouldn’t have to.” Frustration leaked into Keith’s tone, “It’s stupid that I have to just pick someone, because society said it wasn’t normal to be with more than one person.” 

“Do you think the people you like would be mad at you for that?” Shiro grazed his fingertips over the skin of Keith’s leg.

“I don’t know. They’re…” Keith searched for the right words, “They’re close… to each other  _ and _ me.”

“Well, who are they? Maybe we can help you.” Shiro asked.

Keith’s eyes flicked to the floor. “I really shouldn’t…”

“We won’t say anything, cross our hearts and hope to die.” Lance assured.

“If you don’t want to tell us, you don’t have to.” Shiro finger combed Keith’s hair. “But we just want to see you happy.”

“I just, I don’t think it’s a good idea to say anything.” Keith confessed, his eyes never meeting his friends’ own.

Shiro pushed Keith’s hair to the side. “If that’s what you think is best, we won’t push it.” 

Lance laid back down onto the floor. He slotted his legs between Keith’s and scooted closer to his friends. “I know we tease you and stuff, but if you really want to talk about something, I hope you know we’re here for you.”

Keith pointed his gaze away, letting the new silence suffocate him. The movie had long since ended, the laptop reveling in the sleep Keith so desperately needed. A small array of pictures rotated through the display: a few of his dog Kosmo through the years, another of him and his mother, and a couple of the three in the room. There was one photo from Lance’s freshman year, where the three of them had taken a terrible selfie at the quad, and another that was taken of them by their friend Allura during a movie night hosted by the campus’s LGBT club. Somehow, despite how often Lance seemed to be taking surprise photos of the trio, Keith had only managed to save a few good ones since they met. 

If it was up to him, the three of them would have a million more memories together, photographed or not.

Maybe it  _ was _ up to him.

Keith sucked in a breath. If he wanted anything to change, he had to say something. Now was his chance, with both of them in the room and on the edge of their seats to hear about his love life. “If I tell you guys… you have to promise me you won’t look at me differently.” 

“Of course dude, I’m here for you.” Lance pushed Keith’s bangs back. “We both are. Some stupid relationship drama isn’t doing to tear our friendship apart.”

Keith glanced at Shiro.

Shiro smiled. “Nothing can change my opinion of you.” 

“Okay…” Keith paused. “It’s—It’s you guys. Both of you.”

Blue eyes widened, jaw dropping slightly. “Oh…”

“Keith…” Shiro started.

“Look, you guys don’t have to like me back, okay? I know it’s not mutual. I just thought—”

Lance cut Keith off, “No one said it’s not mutual.” His gaze shifted from Keith to the floor. “I like you too… and Shiro.”

Keith slid his fingers between Lance’s. He turned his head to face Shiro.

“You don’t have to feel the same way.” Lance assured.

“No. I do.” Shiro placed his hand on top of the joint ones in front of him. “How do you both feel about maybe trying something together?”

“We already act like we’re together anyway.” Lance smiled.

“Keith?” Shiro turned his gaze to Keith.

Keith pressed their hands to his scarred cheek. “I’d like that.” 

“So, then we’re official?” A smile grazed Lance’s features. 

Keith let out a nod alongside a yawn. 

“Someone’s tired.” Shiro teased.

“But I don’t want to get up. You’re comfy, and Lance is warm.” Keith complained.

“We could push the beds together.” Shiro tucked Keith’s bangs behind his ears. “Then you can cuddle  _ and _ sleep.” 

A whine escaped Lance, “But that’s so much work.”

Shiro wiggled out from where the duo had trapped his legs underneath them. Stepping over to the other side of the room he grasped the foot of the bed and pulled it towards him. Maneuvering the furniture around the couple on the floor he slotted the two twin beds next to one another before stepping back. “Do I need to carry you both?”

“Yes.” Lance reached out towards Shiro.

Shiro rolled his eyes with a smile. Leaning over, he scooped up Lance, quickly depositing him onto the makeshift double bed. Repeating the process once more, he acquired Keith into his hold before climbing under the covers with the duo. “Better than the floor?”

“Mhm.” Keith let out a tired noise and turned his body into Shiro’s, fully settling as Shiro pressed a sweet kiss into his hair.

Lance scooted closer, laying his head on Shiro’s chest. A yawn escaped him as he reached over to find Keith’s hand. “Night, Shiro. Night, Keith.”

“I think we already lost him.” Shiro ran his fingers through Lance’s hair.

“Really? Loser.” Lance laughed. 

Shiro’s lips curled upwards. “Yeah, but you can bug him about it tomorrow.”

“Fine.” Lance took Shiro’s hand into his own, pressing a soft kiss to his fingertips. “Goodnight again.”

“Goodnight, Lance. Sleep well.”


End file.
